Lubricating system for oil burners



Jun 25, 1929.

R. s. rHoRl-:SEN

LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR OIL BURNERS Filed July l VENTOR gif/mm ATTORNEYS,

Patented lune 25, 1929.

UNTE. S'ATES i,'il8,lit

TENT OFFlCE.

RALPH S. THORESEN, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, .ASSGNOR TO PETRLEM HEAT AND POWER COMEANY, OEE' NRV] YORK, N. Y., A CORPRATIGN GF DELAWARE.

LUBRCATNG SYSTEM F0152 GIL BURNERS.

Application. med July l, 1927.

My invention relates to an improvement in. lubricating systems tor certain movingl parts ot burners employing a liquid as a i'uel, such as oil burners, and has for one ot its objects the provision oi a construction which is extremely simple, positive in operation, and which will overcome certain diiculties in lubricating systems heretofore employed.

in the type oll burner 'for which this construction has been particularly desfiigned, although applicable to burners oil? other types, a rotatable a-toinizer or fuel cup is mounted for rotation within n. tube or conduit through which a current oit air under pressure constanti y fed while the burner functioning.

One ot the objects of my invention is to prevent an unbalanced pressure condition on the lubricant beingI 'ted to the bearings to be lubricated, in a direction to torce the lubricant away iroin these bearings.

In burners of the type above reterred to, it is desirable or may be desirable to enujiloy oil cups or lulnicant reservoirs of seine nature whereby lubricant will be ted constantly and ai'itoinatically to the bearings. In prior lubricating' systems, diiliculty has been experienced with the lubricant flow toward the bearin e or bearings, owing; to the uiibalanced condition ot the lubricant due to the current ot air under pressure surrounding' the bearings, and with forcing; oi the'lubricant out ot its cup or reservoir when the saine is ruicovered ior any reason, as for replenishingi' the lubricant supply.

A further object of my invention is to remedy or overcome these inherent detects by providing a structure in which the air pressure on the lubricant in a direction to torce the lubricant toward the bearings to be lulnicated is not less when the device is in operation than the air pref-1euro in the opposite direction, und to positively prevent reversed travel or lilow-bacl7 el the. l ubriea ut when the lubricant reservoir is opened or uncovered.

ln the .ucoinpzuiyingr drawing.'q wherein one embodiment ot inv invention has been illustrated in part sectional elevation, 1 designates a rotatable ifuel atoinizer or fuel cup provided with a rearward extension 2 having` bail bearing mounts 8 on the forward end of a stationary oil tube or fuel tube d, through which 'fuel is fed to the interior of the cup 1. The cup is pr vided with an air turbine 5, and inasmuch as the structure so tar described is mounted within an air tube 6 through which Serial No. 202,793.

air under pressure is projected when the burner is in operation, it will be undersmid that the cup will be caused to rotate on its l iarings 3. inasmuch as the cup and bearings are mounted within the tube 6, it will be apparent also that the bearings are subjected to the pressure ol the travelling current of air passing through the tube (3, and unless nlcans are provided to prevent it, the lubricant will be forced out oit the bearingui.

In the embodiment oit my invention illustrated, l place an oil or lulnicaut cup or reservoir Tin any convenient location with respect to the burner. This oil 1ef-;ervoir or cup is provided with anv upper chaniber 8 and lower chiunber 9, these clialnbers cornl'nl'lnicating with each other at all tunes through a restricted passageway 10. The lower chamber 9 is positioned above the level of the bearings fl and is connected thereto, through conduit 11, duct 12, and ducts 13 and 13, the lulnficant contained within the reservoir 7 tlowingi by gravity to both sets ot bearings 3 tln'ouegh the conduit and ducts just referred to.

The. end oit the conduit or pipe 11 remote frein the oil cup or reservoir 7 is provided with a chock valve, in this :ase a ball valve 14, seatingl in the end oit the conduit lwhen inovod to the .le/tt, as viewed in the druwiiuis, that is to say, when inoved toward the lubricant reservoir or cup.

Air under yinissure is fed to the `ilnterior oit the tube t3 through the inlet 15 therein, and rthe interior of the tube G is at all times in coniinunication with the interior ot the luln'iczult reservoir or cup 7 through a port 16 coininunicatinp; with a pipe or conduit li' extending; upwardly througgjh the interior ot the cup from bottoni to top thereof and to a pointabove the level. ot the lubricant` 1S within the cup. The cup 7 is provided with a removable cap 19 and when the burner is in operation, this cap is in position thereon.

lt will be apparent l'roui the foregoing that by reason o't the provision ot the pipe 1T within the oil reservoir 7 and by inuintaininj.;1 the saine in constant communication with the tube 6, the pressure on the lubricant 18 conw tained within the cup 7 will not at any tinie be less than the pressure on the lubricant due to the pressure created by the air passing through the tube 6 around the bearings 3. This being' the case, the lubricant can flow by gravity through the conduit 11, oust the ball valve 1.411, which will unseat, and, to 'the bearings. AA supply of lubricant for the bearings 3 consequently is always assured.

lVhen the cap 19 of the oil reservoir .7 is removed for any purpose, as for replenishing the supply of lubricant within the reservoir, the pressure on the lubricant will be relieved, the tube 17 at that time beingl Vopen to the atmosphere. Under these conditions, however, the lubricant in the bearings 3 and contained within the conduit 11 cannot be forced in a reverse directionby the air current in the tube 6, the pressure on thelubricant due to this air current under these conditions seating;r the check valve 14.

lVhile I have described a Speciiic application of my invention, it is to be understood that the same may be applied to bearings other than those 'for a rotating atomizer or fuel cup 1. It is to be understood, also, that the construction above described in detail may be varied within the purview of the invent-ion.

lhat I claim is:

1. A lubricator for lubricating bearings which are under pressure and comprising` a lubricant reservoir, a tube extending axially of the reservoir and having its lower end open to the source of pressure to which the bearing' to be lubricated is subjected, the upper end of said tube extending above the level of the lubricant in the reservoir,`said reservoir being formed interiorly with two chambers, one above the other and in constant communication with each other, a conduit leading from the lower of said chambers for conducting,l lubricant from said chamber to the bearing to be lubricated while said bearing,r is under pressure, and a check valve on the outer end of said conduit and closing` toward the reservoir. V

2. AV lubricator for lubricating bearings which are under pressure and comprising` a lubricant reservoir formed interiorly with upper'and lower chambers in constant communication with each other, a tube extending axially of the reservoir and tixedly mounted therein, the lower end of said tube being in constant communication with the pressure to which the bearings to be lubricated are subjected, the upper end of said tube extendingjr above the level of the lubricant in the upper of the interior chambers olf the reservoir, a conduit openingl into the lower ot said chambers, a check valve adjacent the outer end of said conduit and closinpr toward the reservoir, a removable cap for the reservoir, said check valve closing automatically by the pressure on the bearings when .said cap is removed to prevent movement. of the lubricant out ot` said bearings to said reservoir.

3. A lubricator for lubricating bearings which are under pressure comprisi11;,r a reservoir for lubricants, Ytermed interiorly with upper and lower chambers in constant communication with each other, a removable cap for the reservoir, a tube open at each end extending' axially ot the reservoir treni the bot tom thereof to a. point above the level of the lulnicantin the upper chamber of the reservoir, the lower end o the tube communicatingr constaiitl'v with the pressure suppl)Y to which the bearings to be lubricated are :albjectcd, a conduit openingr into the lower of said reservoir chambers for conductingr lubricant therefrom to the bearings, a check valve adjacentthe outer end ot said conduit and closing toward the reservoir, said parts bein` so disposed and arranged that with the removable cap of the reservoir in place the pressure to which the lubricant in the reservoir is subjected is not less than the pressure exerted b v the pressure on the bearings to be lubricated, said check valve closing automatically under the pressure thereon in a direction from the bearings toward the reservoir when said cap is removed.

This spccil'ication signed this QJth day of J une, 1927.

RALPH S. THORESEN. 

